Jon — Rising and Starting Again
“You will rise again,” Jon shares, reading from one of his poems. “Strength isn’t always about moving mountains. Sometimes it’s just deciding to start again.”
Living with muscular dystrophy, Jon has long defied the odds. “Doctors said I would be in a wheelchair by now, but I’m still bouncing around,” he shares. That determination has carried him through heartbreak, homelessness, addiction and recovery.
When he was just 14 years old, Jon lost his father. “My mom and I struggled after my dad died,” Jon recalls. “I get my survivor genes from her.”
Jon later developed a substance use disorder that eventually led to his incarceration. “Getting in trouble with the law was a turning point,” he shares. “I told myself it would never happen again.”
Determined to move forward and deal with his challenges, Jon joined a recovery program where he connected with Pine Street Inn. “Pine Street helped me find resources so I could start over,” Jon says.
Over the next few years, Jon built a life— falling in love, becoming a father and working as a sous chef in restaurants. However, when the pandemic hit, heartbreak and isolation took a toll. “I had just ended my long-term relationship,” he shares. “I also wasn’t around my children very much because they were living with their mom. I became homeless and began using substances again as a way to cope.”
Jon then reconnected with Pine Street and entered a recovery program. “Pine Street helped me get back on track, connecting me with housing at one of their residences,” Jon says.
Jon also joined the iCater food services job training program, allowing him to return to his passion. “The program was a great refresher,” he says. “I helped serve food to the shelter guests and prepared meals for other nonprofits. That felt really good.”
Now, with a renewed sense of purpose, Jon is looking for work and is focused on building a new life. “I’m determined to stay in recovery,” Jon shares. “Pine Street has been there when I’ve needed them. I’m incredibly grateful.”